Process of and apparatus for producing covering material



y 9, 9 A. B. WALTON 2,157,944

PROCESS 0? AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COVERING MATERIAL Filed April 15,. 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 1 cigl Afl ORNEYS.

A. B. WALTON May 9, 1 939.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COVERING MATERIAL 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed April 15, 1935 Y/PGB/PY/PG INVENTOR ALFRED 5 M41 ro/v W i FW+ 6 Y I? 6 A 6 Y B Y 6 1? Y 5 eye-R 5 6 ATTORNEYS.

May 9, 1939.

A. B. WALTON PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COVERING MATERFAL s Sheets-Shae 3 Filed April 15, 1935 ATT RNEYS.

Patented May 9, 1939 PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRO- DUCING COVERING MATERIAL Alfred B. Walton, Kenmore, N. Y., asmr to Certain-teed Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,329

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for the manufacture of covering materials and more especially to the manufacture of covering materials having portions of the surface 5 thereof contrasting .with other portions of the surface thereof to produce design effects or to simulate covering constructions utilizing individual units. The invention particularly relatesto the methods of and apparatus for-the manufacture of roofing and roofing elements having upon the surface thereof a plurality of areas of contrasting appearance or color.

In the prior art many types of roof covering sheets and of roofing elements have been formed with portions of the surface thereof of contrasting appearance for producing designs or for the purpose of providing sections or areas simulating individual shingles or roofing units of contrasting appearance. Roofing strips formed to simulate a plurality of individual shingles in laterally adjacent arrangement with the laterally adjacent sections of contrasting appearance have been proposed in many forms. In such roofing elements the contrasting appearance has been secured in many casesby the application to the adjacent areas of granular surfacing materials of different colors or of different mixtures of colors in order to obtain different shades. Such prior art covering elements have been made, particularly as roofing elements, by binding upon a sheet or strip of asphalt impregnated roofing felt slate of the. desired colors or shades, the bond being efiected by a coating of asphalt upon the surface of the felt to which coating the granular slate adheres. The present invention, while not limited in its scope to the application of granular material such as slate to such roofing sheets so coated with asphalt, has particular application in the manufacture of roofing sheets and of roofing elements of this character and for the most part the invention will be described in connection with the manufacture of such roofing sheets and elements. I

For the purpose of making roofing strips having thereon shingle simulating sections of contrasting colors heretofore it has been proposed to apply to a continuous sheet of asphalt coated roofing felt granular slate in bands lengthwise of the sheet, the difiernt bands being of different color, and thereafter to cut the sheet transi/ersely thereof into the strips to make roofing elements 'simulatinga plurality of shingles in laterally adjacent arrangement and of contrasting color. In practicing such a method, by suit- J able means, laterally adjacent streams or showers material while the sheet is moved lengthwise 36 Claims. (CL 9143) of granular material contrasting with each other may be fed toward the sheet as it passes in a direction at right angles to the lateral arrangement of the streams and the bands may be laid closely adjacent upon the sheet. 5 The present invention may utilize such a method of surfacing a roofing sheet to producer roofing strips but in its broad features provides a process of and apparatus for. applying upon a sheet of material in the direction of a surface dimension thereof successive masses of differently colored or contrasting granular materials with such control as to lay a mass of a given color or characteristic upon a defined area of the sheet and so that said mass is immediately adjacent and sharply demarked from the masses laid upon areas of the sheet immediately previous to and following said first mass in the direction of said dimension of the sheet. By means of the apparatus of the invention, the material is so delivered to. the sheet and its flow is so controlled as to predetermine the amount of material'of a given color to be laid upon the sheet; also so as to determine the rateof delivery of material to the sheet with respect to the rate of movement of the sheet past the point'of application of the granular material so that, in consideration of said predetermined amount, the granular material is delivered to a defined area in predetermined relation to carried out and. the apparatus may be arranged so as to effect successive cut-offs of .one material with the simultaneous starting ofthe adjacent thereof with respect to the devices for applying the granular material to the sheet; By the process of and with the apparatus for carrying out the process of the invention, not only may successive areas lengthwise of the sheet be covso ered with granular material of contrasting shade A or color, each area upon the sheet being sharply demarked from the other, but the dimension lengthwise of the sheet ofthese different areas niaybe controlled or may be adjusted and J changed to suit different conditions of operation. Moreover, the invention may be utilized to produce a covering material having color areas or blocks upon the surface thereof of different dimensions lengthwise of the sheet. In combination with the above referred to methods of the prior art it may produce a sheet having color areas or blocks of dimensions different from adjacent color areas or blocks both lengthwise and transversely of said dimension of the sheet. Covering elements, such as roofing strips, having ad jacently arranged sections of different widths and color may be obtained when the sheet having contrasting color areas of different dimension lengthwise of the sheet is cut lengthwise thereof.

. of successive masses of granular material upon areas extending the full width of thesheet and of defined dimension lengthwise of the sheet. Such a width in this simple application may be that of the band produced by one of the parallel streams as utilized in the prior art processes. The areas of different color or of different character may form what above have been called blocks or color areas upon the sheet. The successive color areas upon such a sheet or band are laid contiguous to and consecutive to each other in the direction of the length of the sheet or of the band but with sharp demarcation from each other without substantial overlapping or intermixture of the marginal portions of the different color masses.

One essential feature of the invention is the feeding of the two successive color masses in such a defined path and under such control in said path that, without interposing between two successive differently colored masses any parts of the apparatus utilized, these masses may move forward one following the other in their travel toward the sheet and may be laid upon the sheet without separation of the masses and without intermixture of the granules thereof in the marginal portions of the masses. In other words, the

movement of the contiguous masses is so oontrolled that the sharp demarcation obtained by the initial placement of the two successive color masses, with the line of separation thereof sharply demarking these masses from each other, is maintained when these masses reach and are laid upon the sheet.

Another essential feature of the invention is the control of the feed of the granular material toward the sheet in such a way tnat the quantity delivered in a given time relation to the movement of the sheet to which the material is being applied is not only correct for the application of a color mass to the desired length of the moving sheet but also so that it may be varied to increase or decrease the dimension lengthwise of the sheet of the area being covered by a color mass. In the simple application referred to above in which a sheet of given width is surfaced with the granular material in a color area extending for the full width of the sheet or of a band upon a sheet the invention provides for the application of each color mass for a length lengthwise of the sheet which may be predetermined and, moreover, may be varied when desired to obtain color areas of different dimension lengthwise of the sheet.

An important feature of the invention resides in the method of and means for so controlling the feeding of the granular material which is laid upon the sheet that the amount laid upon a given area and the thickness of the layer laid upon said area are controlled and predetermined.

In order to accomplish effective control of the character described, I utilize a slot which may be termed a metering slot, the volume of which is greater than the volume of granularmaterial to be laid upon a given color area upon the sheet. Preferably the volume of the slot exceeds by a substantial amount the volume of the largest mass of granular material to be laid upon the sheet, that is, in the usual case, to be laid upon the longest area lengthwise of the sheet when the granules are laid in a uniform thickness upon the sheet. This volume of the slot conceivably may be sufficient to hold parts of the preceding mass and of the succeeding mass as well as the mass being metered. By thus providing a volume greater than the volume to be laid upon the color area it is possible todeliver into theslot in a manner hereafter to be described the full amount of material of a given color for laying upon a color area.

The feed of this mass of material from the slot toward the sheet is so limited and controlled at the outlet end of the slot that to the inlet end of the slot may be freely delivered the succeeding mass of granular material of different color. The color mass previously delivered into and partly withdrawn therefrom, so that it occupies the lower portion of the slot, is so distributed therein that it presents substantially an even surface upon which may be freely delivered and superimposed the succeeding color mass. If the slot is arranged in a vertical position and has its width, that is, the dimensionthereof which is in the direction of the motion of the sheet to which it is to be delivered, sufficiently restricted, then the granular material may be distributed in the slot lengthwise thereof, that is, in the direction transversely of the motion of the sheet and parallel to the surface thereof, so as to present substantially a uniform flat surface of the color mass which is in the lower portion of the slot. The succeeding color mass delivered directly upon the color mass of granules lying in the slot may be sharply demarked from the lower color mass at the line of separation of the two masses. If now, in the manner to be described, the color mass lying in the lower portion of the slot 'is withdrawn from the lower outlet area thereof under proper control, the whole mass of material, including the lower color mass and the superimposed .mass of granules of contrasting color, will move downward through the slot and the sharp demarcation of one mass from the other may be maintained.

In order properly to control the discharge or withdrawal of the granular material from the slot, in a fundamental conception of the invention I mount the slot above the moving sheet but closely adjacent thereto and with the outlet of the slot in such spaced relation to the surface of the sheet to be covered as to provide what substantially may be designated as an orifice opening in the vertical plane between the lower edge of the slot and the surface of the sheet. While this feature of the invention will be more completely understood from the description to fice area in the vertical plane, thus determining the amount of material which is caused to pass forward upon the surface of the moving sheet. Stated in another way, in a sense the slot structure provides a scraper or doctor bar which is placed at a predetermined height above the sheet to be covered and thereafter determines the thickness of the material which is to be laid upon the sheet moving immediately beneath. This thickness determines the amount of material withdrawn from the slot and the rate of withdrawal from the slot is determined by the speed of the moving sheet.

For reasons which will be more clear from the description to follow, in practice the apparatus of the invention utilizes intermediate between the metering slot and the sheet of material to be covered preferably an apron or belt asa feeder which may be mounted'in suitable relation to the metering slot to prevent gravity flow of the granular material from theslot, except as controlled feeder, that is, particularly the predetermined length of its extent inthe direction of the motion of the feeder surface. Moreover, it will be understood that the sharp demarcation of the s'uccessive masses will be secured and maintained upon a feeder of suitable design so that this feeder may deliver the predetermined masses arranged in predetermined successive order and in predetermined relation to the motion of the sheet so that areas of predetermined extent upon the sheet may be covered with masses of predetermined color and of predetermined thickness and these areas may be sharply demarked from each other on the sheet.

In the elemental application which has been referred to above, it has been assumed that the granules of a single color are supplied over the full width of the sheet or of a band upon the sheet lengthwise of its movement. As has been stated above, the slot in such a case would extend the full width of the sheet or of the band. If an opening through which granular material were delivered under action of gravity were of substantial dimensions in both horizontal directionsthere would be a tendency for the material at the center of the opening to flow faster than at the walls of the opening and thus delivery of the material would not be uniform throughout the 7 area of the opening, and the top surface of a mass of granules in the slot or opening would not be flat and even. The slot of the invention, however; has width in the direction of motion of the sheet or of the feeder so limited as to prevent substan- 75 tial. differences in flow in different portions of the areas of the slot. This may be the case even though the slot may be of considerably greater length, that is, in a direction of the dimension of the sheet-transversely of the motion of the sheet, than the width thereof in the direction of motion of the sheet. It is, therefore, a feature of the invention to utilize a slot which may be" of considerable length but is of such restricted width that a uniform flow therefrom may be ,7 produced and a uniform area of substantially flat surface of the material therein may be secured, upon which surface the succeeding color mass of granular material may be superimposed. The height of the slot is suchthat sumcient volume is provided to hold at least one charge of a color mass fully to cover the color area for the desired length thereof lengthwise of the sheet in addition to a certain portionof a preceding color mass not yet fully withdrawn from the slot.

In the elemental embodiment of the invention the slot may bearranged stationary with respect to the moving sheet passing thereunder, the different color masses being successively delivered from the slot on to thesheet. To bring about successive delivery of the color masses to the slot, a magazine, divided into compartments or pockets and containing in the different compartments the different .color masses or masses of granules of contrasting appearance, may be moved so that the compartments in succession are positioned overthe slot. Each compartment may be provided with an opening or outlet in the bottom thereof so that as a result of moving the magazine the different outlets successively are brought into register with .the upper inlet opening of the slot and the different color masses may be delivered to the slot in the order of the compartments in which, they lie. While such an elemental form of the invention embodies the fundamental features thereof, in a practical embodiment it may be preferable or necessary to arrange the magazine stationary and to move the structure in which the slot is formed with respect to the openings of the compartments or pockets of the magazine. This relative motion fectively as in the simple embodiment of the invention referred to above the delivery of the different color masses of granular material into the slot in a measured quantity and with sharp demarcation ,from the granular material previously depositedin the slot. All the other advantages of the slot arrangement also are maintained.

In this preferred embodiment, in view of the motion of the structure in which the slot is formed, there also is produced what may be called a differential movement of the structure in which the slot is formed with respect to the sheet or feeder. It will be understood that if the'slot is moved continuously in one direction this differential movement may be maintained at a desired constant amount, or with such predetermined variations as may be suitable, so as to effect the laying of the granular aterial upon the desired length inthe directio of movement of the feeder or of the sheet. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, however,'in order to simplify the mechanism and the delivery of the materials from storage sources to the magazine and thence to theslo't, ithas been found to be advantageous to move the slot carryingstructure or member with a reciprocating motion beneath the magazine to secure successive opening and closing of the outlets from the compartments Figure 4; a

' Figure 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus of or pockets of the magazine so as to effect the delivery of the successive contrasting masses of granular material into the slot. When such a reciprocating motion is given to the slot, there is 4 produced when the slot forming member is moved in one direction a differential movement which is different from that produced when the said slot forming member is moved in the opposite direction. It thus becomes necessary to compensate for this difference in differential movement and the means of compensation for this difference in differential motion is a feature of the invention.

In the practical or preferred embodiment this means cooperates with the means which are effective to produce the feeding of the granular material to the slot and the metering of the quantity so fed, to control the feed to the slot and the withdrawal from the slot for delivery to the sheet, to control the amount of material to be laid upon a given length of the sheet for a given width thereof, that .is, upon what herein has been called a color area, and to control the motions-of the several parts so that the material laid upon one color area of a given length is equal to or in a predetermined relation to that laid upon the succeeding color area or color areas while producing a sharp demarcation of one color area from the adjacent color areas.

In addition to the broad features of the invention, as set forth in the general statement above, the invention includes the method of and means for predetermining the extent of the color area to be surfaced, the method of and means for varying the extent of said color area and of each succeeding color area, the means for varying the adjustment of the various parts to produce color areas of different dimensions lengthwise of the sheet, the application to successive color areas of granularmaterial of different colors or contrasting appearance in such order and arrangement and with such intervals between the repetition of the application of the granular material of the same color or appearance that a substantial variation of the color areas is obtained, and the means for controlling the thickness of the layer on which the granular masses are applied to the sheet. When the sheet is cut into elements such as roofing shingles, not only are the elements completely surfaced with granular material in the desired variety of color areas, but no presorting or prearrangement of the shingles as they are discharged from the roofing machine is necessary in order to insure, when said shingles are laid upon a roof, that the variation of the color effects in the roof assembly may be produced which is desirable and has been the aim of many inventions to accomplish.

The invention now will be more fully explained in connection with the drawings in which.

Figure 1 is a'diagrammatic showing of the slot and magazine arrangement;

Figure 2 is a similar diagrammatic drawing of the magazine in a different relation to the slot;

Figure 3 shows, in cross-section, a modified form of the invention;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the apparatus of the invention viewed in the direction of movement of the roofing sheet;

Figure 5 is a cross-section on line 55 of the invention;

Figure 7 shows diagrammatically a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 8 shows diagrammatically a sheet of material having color areas thereon.

In Figure 8 is shown diagrammatically a sheet I which may have a defined width and may be of indefinite length. Upon the sheet are formed bands longitudinally thereof which may be of different widths in a direction of the width of the sheet or, if desired, may be of equal width. In each of these bands color areas may be formed adjacently arranged in the direction of the length of the sheet, these color areas contrasting with each other. For example, in the band next the lower edge of the sheet I as shown in Figure 8,

in said lengthwise direction, each color area be-.

ing sharply demarked from its adjacent color areas.

In Figure 8 are shown four such bands upon the sheet I extending lengthwise thereof with the color areas in each band arranged similarly to that described in connection with the band at the lower edge of the sheet. Utilizing the methods of the prior 31131311688 parallel bands upon the sheet of material may be laid closely adjacent each other and sharply demarked from each other. Combined with the present invention it becomes possible to lay upon a sheet, as shown in Figure 8, a pattern of color areas each sharply demarked from the color area which is adjacent to it in the direction lengthwise of the sheet I as'well as in the direction transversely of the length of the sheet.

Utilizing the prior art method of laying parallel bands of granular material upon the sheet, strips of covering material may be made by cutting the sheet transversely of its length, these strips having thereon color areas or sections adjacent each other and sharply demarked from each other. .Utilizing the method of the invention, however, strips of this character may be produced by applying the color areas in adjacent arrangement lengthwise of the sheet I' and sharply demarked from each other, the sheet being cut longitudinally thereof in the lines at which the lengthwise bands thereon met. Strips formed in the manner of the invention may be of different lengths or if desired may be of the same length and may be formed by cutting the band transversely thereof at a desired point. Moreover, if desired, these longitudinal cuts and the transverse cuts may be made without regard to the line of separation or demarcation of the color areas to produce either sheets having a portion thereon or elements of anydesired dimensions, said sheets and elements having thereon color areas of contrasting appearance each sharply demarked from its adjacent color area.

Moreover, it will be noted that not only is .the width of the several bands upon the sheet I in Figure 8 different in the direction of the width of the sheet but the dimensions of the ,color areas in the direction of the length of the sheet I are different. By means of the methods of the prior art the longitudinal bands upon the so lar materials.

sheet may be made of diflferent transverse-width to secure different dimensions of the color areas in the direction transversely of the length of the sheet. By means .of the method and apparatus of the invention the dimension of the color areas lengthwise of the sheet may be varied in the manner hereafter to be described. It thus will be apparent that not only the color areas which are contrasting in appearance and sharply demarlred from each other both in the lengthwise and the transverse direction may be produced upon a sheet of material but that the dimensions of these color areas in both the longitudinal and transverse direction may be varied. By means of the present invention these dimensions in the direction lengthwise ofthe sheet I within the limits of the particular apparatus being. used may be varied at will.

Figures- 1 and 2 show in elemental form the fundamental feature upon which the invention is based. In these figures the sheet of material to be covered with granular material is represented by the numeral I. In its simplest form, above and separated somewhat from the sheet I is a fixed plate 3 of such thickness that a slot 5 may be formed therein with a substantial depth. Above the plate 3 is shown diagrammatically a magazine I having formed therein compartments 8, 9 and I0 containing differently colored granu- These compartments are separated and formed by the walls or partitions I2, I3, I4 and I5. The thickness of these walls is such in relation to the width of the slot at its upper end that, as shown by Figure 2, a partition I! may completely cover the upper opening I5 of the slot 5 to cut oii delivery to the slot 5 of granular material from the compartments 3 and III which are separated. by the partition I4. When the partition I3 is in register with the slot 5 it also may close the upper opening I6 of the slot and thus cut ofi delivery of the granular material thereto from compartments 8 and 3. The walls I2 and I5 may also be made to efiect such cut-off but, as will be shown hereafter, this relationship of the walls I2 and I5 is not necessary when, as in the simple embodiment being described, the magazine 'I is reciprocated upon the plate 3 so as successively to bring in register with the slot the compartments 8, 9 and III.

of full opening produced by movement of the magazine I in the direction of the arrow so that partition I3 has been moved out of register with the opening I6 of the slot 5. During thismotion of the partition I3 out of register with the slot 5 a certain amount of granular material has flowed into the slot 5 from the compartment 9. This material is deposited directly upon the previously deposited granular material I8 which was received by the slot 5 from 'the compartment 3. As withdrawal of the granular material I8 from the bottom of the slot '5 proceeds, feeding of the granular material I9 from the compartment 9 continues until, by continued motion of the magazine 1 over the .plate 3 in the direction of the arrow, the partition I4 comes into full register with the opening I6 of the slot'5 as shown in Figure 2 and the granular material I9 is cut oil. During this movement of the magazine 1, by withdrawal of the previously deposited granular material l8 through the lower opening 20 of the slot 5, the upper surface in the slot 5 of said previously deposited granular material I8 have moved downward from its position at cutoff by'the partition I3 and beyond the position In Figure 1 the slot 5 is shown in the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. Thus there has been deposited in the slot a measured quantity of the granular material I9 received from. the compartment 3. This measure is determined by the volume within the slot 5 above the upper surface of the previously deposited granular material I3 at the instant of causing said previously material II to be fully discharged from the slot 5' before cut-off.

The width of the slot, that is, the dimension thereof, in the direction of the movement of the .magazine I; is relatively small with respect to length of the slot in the direction transverse to said motion and parallel to the sheet I. This width is' made small, enough to produce the even 'feed and flat surface of the mass within the slot but is made great enough to.

permit the masses to move downwardly in the slot without forming a restricting orifice. While the slot, as shown in Flgures 1, 2, 5 and 7 is of tapered section, it may be-medewith parallel walls .as shown in Figure 3. The slope of these walls when the slot is of tapered section preferably is not at a marked angle to the vertical and such taper is given merely to provide a.

suitable dimension of the upper opening I6 of the slot with respect to the width or thickness of the partitions I3 and II, or their equivalents in the modified forms of the apparatus, and to provide an opening through which the granular material may freelybe fed into the slot, in consideration ofthe restriction of the width of the slot to maintain even feed'and a flat surface of the granules as above described. The proper proportioningof these parts may result in a tapered slot or one with parallel sides under different conditions. Moreover, the proportions may be diflerent for diflerent sizes of granular material.

It thus becomes possible to cause the granular material to feed through the slot not under the control of gravity alone but, while utilizing gravity to aid the flow, in a suitable relation to the motion of the sheet I. If the sheet I is moved in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the granular material I8 will be withdrawn and will be deposited upon a certain portion of the length of the sheet. If there were no motion to the sheet I, owing to the relatively narrow dimension of the opening 20- of the slot 5 and in view of the position of the sheet I relatively close to the plate 3, there would be no flow of the granular material from the slot to the sheet. As the sheet I moves in the direction of the arrow, the granular material is moved from the point immediately below the opening 20 and the granular material I8 above this point may flow down or uniformly settle to replace that removed. Thus a uniform delivery of the material through the opening 20 may beobtained.

and the height of the plate 3 above the sheet I. These two functions of the device determine the quantity of material laid upon the sheet I in a given time or in relation to a given length of the sheet I.

It will now be clear that as the magazine is moved from the position shown in Figure 2 where a measured amount of the granular material I9 has been delivered into the slot 5, and during the time in which the partition I4 covers the opening I 6 of the slot, the sheet continues to move and removes granular material I8 from the slot 5 with the concomitant settling or movement downward of the material I9 in the slot 5. When the partition l4 has moved to the left so as to start opening of the slot below the compartment I0 the granular material from: the compartment II] will start to feed into the slot 5 and to be super-imposed upon the granular material I9 therein. It now will be understood that it is immaterial, for proper action of the apparatus to produce the desired result, that during the time interval in which the slot is closed by'the partition I I no material is being fed thereto. When the slot is fully uncovered the opening I6 is unrestricted and the material I9 may fiow freely into the slot 5 to fill it. Thereafter when cutoff is completed the quantity of material I9 which has been fed into the slot will have been determinediiy the volume of the slot above the previously deposited material and not solely by the timing of opening and of cut off effected by the movement of the partitions I3 and I4 with respect to the upper opening I6 of the slot. This feature is an important feature of the invention and is made possible by the do sign of the slot which maintains a substantially even surface of the granular material throughout the length and width of the slot in the horizontal plane and by the positive determination of the withdrawal of the material from the slot. This withdrawal, as stated above, is not alone under action ofgravity but by pre-determined motion of the sheet I and the position of the sheet I beneath the plate 3 which substantially provides an orifice in the vertical plane having a height equivalent to the distance that the upper surface 22 of the sheet I is below the lower surface 23 of the plate 3.

It will now be clear that when the entire amount of the granular material I8 has been laid upon the sheet I that immediately and without break between the mass of the material I8 and the mass of the material I9, the feed of the granular material I9 will continue. Upon the sheet I will be spread a layer of the granular material I8 having a uniform thickness and this layer will be immediately followed by a layer of the granular material I9 of uniform and equal thickness, the areas covered by these two masses of granular material being sharply demarked from each other because of the sharp demarcation between the masses of the two materials I8 and I9 as they are delivered through and withdrawn from the slot 5 in contiguous and consecutive relation.

In the elemental embodiment of the invention being described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, the magazine I may be continued in its motion in the direction of the arrow, until full opening of the slot 5 is effected in register with the compartment I0. After such full opening has been effected and the slot 5 has received from the hopper I0 sufi'icient material to fill the slot, said material being superimposed upon the material I9 which then will have moved downwardly in the slot, the motion of the magazine 1 may be reversed until again the partition I4 covers the upper opening I6 of the slot to cut off delivery of the granular material from the compartment II).

It will now be understood that successively the other color. Thus it will be seen that by a reciprocation of the magazine I above the plate 3, below which plate the sheet I is moved with a constant speed, there will be caused to be de-- livered into the slot successive masses of materials in an order predetermined by the arrangement of the difierent granular materials in the compartments of the magazine.

In this elemental embodiment of the invention any reciprocating motion of the magazine I which is effective to bring the compartments succesively into register with the slot 5 may be used provided this motion is so timed in relation to the withdrawal of the material from the slot that the slot may be filled with material flowing from one compartment and superimpose upon the material previously deposited in the slot before said previously deposited material is completely withdrawn from the slot 5. The dimension of the compartment transversely to the direction of movement of the magazine I and parallel to the sheet I may, of course, be sufficient properly tofill the slot throughout its extent in said transverse direction. The width of the compartments and the thickness of the partitions and walls I2, I3, I4 and I5 may be such as to provide a substantial volume of the granular material of each color or character in the compartments so that the granular material may readily" fill the slot when the compartments are in register therewith. As has been stated above, however, the thickness of the partitions or that portion of them which is in contact with the plate 3 is so related to the width of the slot as properly to effect the cut-off of the granular material when said partition completely covers the slot. The amount of movement which must be given to the magazine I, it will be understood, depends upon the width of the compartments and upon the thickness of the partitions, and the mechanism must provide for so moving the magazine I as to bring the partitions into register with the slot at the proper time so as to effect the cut-off when the previously deposited material, as it is withdrawn by the sheet I, has

moved downwardly in the slot to such a point that the desired metered amount of the material being superimposed thereon has been fed into the slot from the particular compartment. It will be understood, therefore, that it is a feature of will be effected at the proper time with respect to the amount of material of a-given color or character already withdrawn and deposited on the sheet I as it moves under the slot 5 and thereafter to uncover the slot 5 and cause the material from the succeeding compartment to flow thereinto, cut-off of said succeeding material being effected at the proper time after withdrawal of a defined amount of the previously deposited material of given color. Thus the motion of the magazine I must be effected in a predetermined relation to the motion of the sheet I.

In Figure 3 is diagrammatically shown a device embodying the features which have been described in connection with Figures 1 and 2 but in which for the reciprocating magazine I is substituted a rotary cage 25 which may be fitted as a cylinder into a casing 26. In the walls 21 of the cage 25 are formed openings 29 spaced circumferentially of the cylinder. Between the openings 29 and extending from a central hub 30 to meet the wall 21' of the cage 25 are partitions 32 dividing the cylinder into compartments 33 for which the openings 29 form outlets. -A shaft 34 may be fitted in the hub 30 and be driven by suitable means not shown. As the cage 25 is caused to rotateby rotation of the shaft 34 the openings 29 successively come into register with the upper opening I6 of a slot 5 similar to the slot 5 shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will be apparent, if the compartments 33 are charged with granular color masses of different color, that the delivery of the granules through the openings 29 may take place substantially in the same manner as delivery of the granular material from the compartments 8, 9 and III of Figures 1 and 2, and successively different colored granules may be deliveredv to the slot 5 and in the slot may be superimposed upon each other in the same manner as described in connection with Figures 1 and 2. However, it will also the clear that by means of the device shown in Figure 3 a continuous motion in one direction only of the compartment is efiected, and that the sequence of the changes from granular material of one color to that of another color is not limited on account of the reciprocating motion as is the case in Figures 1 and 2 where the sequence necessarily is reversed when, after delivery of granules from the end compartments 8 and III, there then must follow delivery of the granules from the middle compartment 9 of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.

By using a magazine having a large number of compartments it is of course possible to effect a practical variation of the successively different colors and in most cases the reciprocating form of the device is preferable. With the device shown in Figure 3, however, the compartments 33 may be charged through a delivery hopper 35 as the openings 29 come into register with this hopper at the upper portion of the device. By suitable means there may be delivered to the hopper 35 granules of a given color when the opening 29 of a given compartment is about to come into register with the hopper 35. The compartments, therefore, may be charged with color masses arranged in a predetermined order. It will be clear that the order determines the arrangement of the different color masses upon the sheet since the successive compartments 33 come into register with the slot 5 in the order in which they are charged with the different colors.

As has been referred to above in the general description of the invention, instead of reciproeating the magazine I of Figures land'2 over the plate 3, equally effective motion of these two parts may be produced, to cause delivery of the granular material into the slot and the cut off of the material therefrom, if the plate 3 is reciprocated under the magazine 1, this magazine in such case being fixed relative to the motion of the sheet I. Thus, if the plate 3 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is moved in the line of motion of the moving sheet I the slot may pass successively beneath the'compartments 8, 9 and I Ii, and receive in like order and-in like manner as described above, the granular materials from these compartments. It will be understood, however, when such reciprocating motion is given tothe plate 3, the sheet I moving with a constant speed with respect to the magazine I, that the motion of the plate 3 with respect to the sheet I and, therefore, of the slot as determining the pointof delivery of the granular material, is changed.

If the plate 3 is moved in the direction of mo-' tion of the sheet I, the relative speed of these two parts is reduced and when the plate 3 is returned in the opposite direction the relative speed of these parts is increased. It will be seen that the whole movement or displacement of the plate relative to the magazine I is the same for the forward and for the reverse motion of the plate. Because of the difference in relative speeds there will be withdrawn from the slot 5 during the time when the plate 3 moves forward in the direction of motion of the sheet less material than when said plate moves in the reverse direction.

During these two times, however, or during such parts of these time intervals as is represented by the motion of the slot into and out of register with a compartment of the magazine, there would be delivered into the slot that amount of material which is determined, not merely by the time relation between the plate 3 and the magazine 1 but by the speed of withdrawal of the material as determined by relative motion of the sheet I and the plate 3 in view of the spacing of the sheet I below the plate 3. The result of this unequal delivery-of the material during the forward motion of the plate 3 with respect to the reverse motion thereof is that the material will be laid upon the sheet over a greater length of the sheet I during the reverse motion than will be laid upon the sheet during the forward motion of the plate 3. While the extra material required for withdrawal from the slot will readily flow into the slot from the compartment of the magazine in register with which the slot is positioned. in order to produce uniform color areas, or color areas upon the sheet which have a predetermined dimension in the direction of the length of the sheet, it becomes necessary to compensate for the difference in relative motion of the plate 3 with respect to the sheet I in the two directions of its movement. The method of and the means for effecting this compensation will be described in connection with a practical embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6 a frame 40 is provided at each side of the apparatus, these frames being suitably connected by bracing members therebetween comprising tie rods 42 and pipe spacers as well as by cross bar 46. The frame 40 may be madeof castiron andmay be provided with flanges connected by a central web to provide the desirable stiffness of the frame and also to afford a form of material suitable for finishing as bearing surfaces or surfaces upon which may be attached bearing blocks or other parts. Attached to the frame 40 upon the flange 48 thereof is a bearing bracket 50.

This bracket may be attached to the flange 48 by bolts 49 passing through the flanges of the two pieces. The upper flange portion 52 of the bracket 50 is formed with a slot 53 as shown in Figure 4, this slot being provided with an enlarged portion 54 for receiving the head of a bolt 58, which bolt then may be moved, with the shank thereof in the portion 53 of the slot, lengthwise along the flange 52. Mounted upon the upper flange 52 is a bearing block 56 which, by means of bolts 58, may be fastened upon the bracket 50. As the bolts 58 may be slid lengthwise of the slot 53 with the heads thereof in the portion 54, the bearing 56 may be moved in the direction parallel to the upper flanges 4| of the frames 48 and 52 .of the bracket 50. At the opposite end of the upper flange 4| of the frame 46 may be positioned the bearing block 60 This block may be fastened in a fixed position upon said upper flange H by suitable bolts 62. There is provided a bearing block 56 supported upon the upper flange 52 of each bearing bracket 56 attached to each frame 40 of the machine. Also there is a bearing block 66 fastened to the upper flange II of each frame 40, the respective blocks upon the respective frames being in like position in relation to the frames.

Journaled in the blocks 56 is an apron roll 51 which may be formed of steel tubing of suitable diameter and thickness to provide a stiff roll having gudgeons or stub shafts 58 fitted therein and turned upon their ends to fit the bearing surfaces of the bearing blocks 56. Journaled in the bear-; ing blocks 68 is a similar roll 63 which also may be formed of tubing and may have stub shafts fitted thereto for bearing in the bearing blocks 60.

Passing over the rolls 51 and 63 is an apron 65 formed as an endless band or belt and of flexible material capable of being driven ,by friction of the roll 63 when said roll 63 is caused to be turned by means hereafter to be described and also itself to cause the roll 51 to turn on its bearings. The feeder or apron 65 may provide a substantially even surface upon the upper face of the upper stretch thereof in relation to which face the slot carrying structure may be so positioned as to effect feed of the granular material toward and to lay the granular material upon said face of the apron. Said upper stretch of said apron 65 may slide over and be supported-against sagging by plate I1 hereafter. referred to.

'The arrangement of the bearing'blocks 56 and 68 and of the rollers 51 and 63 carrying the apron 65 is such that the frames 48 carrying the various positioned in a roofing machine having rollers 68 p and 69 over which a web of roofing felt or other fabric being surfaced may pass, or these rollers may be mounted to rim in frame 48 as shown in Figure 5, so that the direction of motion of the band or belt 65 is in a direction parallel to that of the motion of the sheet I. Thus it will be clear from a consideration of Figures 4, 5, and 6 that, as the sheet I is moved in the direction from the roll 68 to'the roll 69, granular materials laid upon so that when the granular materials reach the curve of the roller 63 theymay fall upon the sheet I and may be laid thereon over a length of the sheet I which is determined by the amount of material delivered over the roller 63 for a given -.leng th of the sheet I passing beneath the roller- 63. "It-will be apparent that, if upon the feeder or apron 65 has been laid a' layer of granular material of uniform thickness and of predetermined length in the line of motion of the band, depending upon the speed of delivery of the granular material over the roll 63 asdetermined by the speed of the band 65 relative to the speed of the sheet I, said mass of material will be delivered upon a given length of the sheet 1. Moreover, if, in the maner described above in the simple embodinient of the invention, there has been laid upon the feeder or apron 65 contiguous color masses upon successive areas of the apron 65 and sharply demarked from each other, these successive color masses will be laid upon the sheet I in the same order as they are laid upon the apron 65 and with like sharpness of demarcation one from the other. A feature of the invention which insures this sharp demarcation of one color mass from the continguous color mass is that the granules fall through only a relatively short distance from the roll 63 to the sheet I and thereby differences in air resistance or of rebound from the apron, or ofother factors which may be due to differences in size of the granules, are minimized.

and therefore produce no great variations or differences in the speed with which the different granules fall to the sheet with the result that the granules which leave the apron together fall substantially together and lie upon the sheet in like proximity.

Bearing upon the upper flange H of the frame 40 as may be seen in Figure 6 is fastened by suitable bolts Ill a side bracket 12 from which by means of bolts I4 passing through lugs I5 of the side brackets are suspended cross bars I6, one at each end of the bracket I2. The cross bars 16 extend transversely of the motion of the sheet I and of the apron 65 and carry a plate H which serves to support the upper stretch of the apron 65 and maintain it in a horizontal plane throughout the extent of its travel beneath the field of operation of the slot mechanism. The bolts I4 are threaded at their lower ends into the cross bar I6 so that by turning the bolt while its head bears on the lug 15 the ends of the bars 16 may be lowered or raised and thus each corner of the plate 11 may be lowered or raised in order to bring the plate into a level position and in a horizontal plane so as to provide a uniform surface upon which the apron 65 may bear. As'the apron 65 may have a uniform thickness the upper surface of the apron also will thus provide a uniform level surface in the horizontal plane. By means of the bolts I4 the plate 'I'I may be positioned at a greater or less distance below the lower opening of the slot structure in order to .vary'the height of the vertical orifice and thereby the thickness of the granular layer. This setting, for example, may be such that the upper face of the upper stretch of the apron 65 may be to below the slot opening. The invention, however, is not limited to this specific range of setting and settings of greater or less amount may be used.

Fastened in the side bracket I2 by means of nuts 88 are studs 82 having heads 83 and providing bearings for rolls 84 turning thereon. A'

stud 82 and a roll 84 is provided-,"as shown in Figures 5 and 6, adjacent each end of the side bracket I2 and, as maybe seen from Figure 4, a set of studs is provided for each side bracket I2. These studs and rolls provide bearings upon which may roll, in a direction tangent to the circumferences of the rolls 84 and in a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of the apron 65, the carriage 85 in which is formed the metering slot.

This carriage 85 comprises a frame 86 having "sion of said apron 85.

a plate 88 bearing upon the top edge thereof. This plate provides a smooth and even surface upon its upper face. Upon the underside of the plate 88 and to the portions thereof which extend over frame 88 are fastened by suitable means such as welding bearing strips 89 which have their lower faces formed parallel to the plane of the upper face of the plate 88. The strips 89 are positioned adjacent the lateral edges of the plate 88 and so as to bear in rolling contact upon the rolls 84. As the plate 88 may be fastened by suitable means such as welding to the frame 88 this frame thus may be caused to move in a horizontal plane and parallel to the plane of the upper face of the apron 85.

Adjacent the central portion of the carriage 85 and spanning from one side to the other of the frame 85 is a cross member 98 in which is formed an opening 9I extending from one of the lateral members of the frame 86 to the other. The opening 9I may be of such width in the direction of the motion of the frame 88, that is, in the direction of the motion of the apron 65, as to provide room for liner plates 92 to form therebetween a slot 93 in the carriage 85. These liner plates may be of suitable wear resisting material and may be made removable from the cross member 98 so that after wear upon the inner faces of the liner plates 92 has occurred to an undesirable extent they may be removed and new liner plates inserted. The space between the inner faces of the liner plates 92 forms the slot 93 with its length extending transversely bf the motion of the frame 88 and, therefore, of the motion of the apron 85, and for the full extent of the transverse dimen- The opening 9| in the transverse member 98 is so formed and the thick ness of the plates 92 is such that the slot 93 is formed with its side faces tapering with the wider opening at the top and the narroweropening at the bottom in order to produce the friction action and the effects which have been described above. The slot opening 93 is continued up through the plate 88 as shown in Figure 5. In a practical embodiment the width of the slot 93 at its upper opening may be about while the width at its lower opening may be about A". These dimensions are merely typical and may be varied to suit different conditions, such as different size or character of the granular material or differences in the construction of the apparatus, while securing the even surface of the granular material as described.

It will now be clear that the slot 93 may be moved in the plane parallel to the plane of the apron 85 and if the lower edge 81 of the transverse member 98 is at a small distance above the upper face of the apron 85 the granular material moving down through the slot 93 may be deposited upon the upper face of the apron 85 and may lie thereon as a layer having a thickness determined by the distance between the lower edge 81 of the slot structure and the upper face of the apron 85.

Bearing upon the upper face of the plate 88 and held against motion in the horizontal plane by upright studs 95 fastened at their lower ends in the side brackets I2 is a box or magazine 98. The box 98 is constructed with a lower plate I88 forming the bottom thereof and suitably .fastended to the angle frame I8I as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The angles I8I serve to support the side plates I83 of the box 98, these side plates being fastened at their upper edges to angle frame' I84 to complete a rigid magazine frame.

In the plate I88 are formed openings or slots I88 which extend across the plate in a direction parallel to the length of the slot 93 for the full length of said slot 93. These openings I88 are of such width in the direction of motion of the carriage 85, that is, the direction of motion of the apron 85, that between said openings I88 may be left portions I88 of the material of the plate I88. The width or thickness of these portions I88 in said direction of the motion of the carriage 85 is such as fully to cover the upper opening of the slot 93 when said portions I88 are in register with the slot. The width of the openings I88 also is such that partitions I89 extending upward from each of the portions I88 of the plate I 88 may be so positioned as to form compartments or pockets of such Width and extending fully over the transverse dimension of the plate I88, as to provide space for a substantial amount of the granular materials, such as granular slate, placed therein. The width of the openings I 88, therefore, is made as great as is possible and greater than the width of the upper opening of the slot 93'without interfering with the provision of sufficient thickness or width of the portions I88 to secure the necessary overlap of said portions upon the upper openings of the slot 93 in order to cut off the flow of granular material into the slot.

It will now be apparent that when a compartment formed between the partitions I89 or between a partition I89 and the wall I83 of the box 98 is above the slot 93, .the material from the compartment may run into the slot under the action of gravity until the material reaches the upper face of the apron 85 and builds up thereon to the lower edge of the slot 93. Thereafter, the material will fill up the slot 93 until the mass of material is continuous from the compartment to the slot. If, now, in the manner described above the apron is moved relative to the slot the granular material will be withdrawn from the lower end of the slot and the granular material will thereafter again run from the compartment into the slot at a rate determined by the speed of the apron 85 with respect to the slot 93.

ferent openings I88 which are in the plate I88 and which provide outlets for the material in the different compartments. The interval of time iii which the slot 93 carried by the frame 88' may be moved from the position of cut-01f of material from one compartment to that of the cut-off of thematerial from the succeeding compartment substantially may equal that required to withdraw from the slot a given amount of the material in the slot, which amount, for the purposes of the invention, will be a color mass. While the rate of flow under the action of gravity of the material from the compartments into the slot is not and need not be definitely limited to the rate of withdrawal of the material from the lower opening of the slot it will be apparent that when the slot 93 starts to open, by moving from under one of the portions I88, material from the compartment into register with which the slot is moving may start to flow into the slot. In the slot there will be a certain amount of space which will be formed by withdrawal of the material from the slot during said interval from the time of cut-off of the, flow from the preceding compartment until the opening of the slot under the succeeding compartment. Thereafter the material from the compartment will follow the withdrawal of the material from the slot until again flow from the compartment is cut off by movement of the slot completely under a portion I08 of the plate I00.

It will now also be apparent that between the upper surface of that color mass which has been previously cut off from the compartment from which it flowed, and which has moved downward in the slot by withdrawal from the bottom thereof, and the upper opening of the slot, that is, the under face of the plate I00, there wilLbe a metered amount of granular material which for the reasons which have been stated above, is sharply demarked as a color mass from said preceding color mass in the slot. As this color mass within the slot 93 is withdrawn at a rate predetermined by the rate of motion of the apron 85 with respect to the slot, and in consideration of the height of the lower edge 81 of the slot above the upper face of the apron 65, said metered amount of granular material as a color mass will be laid upon a definite length of the feeder 65 and said definite quantity of granular material as a color mass upon the apron 65 will be delivered upon a definite length of the sheet I as it passes beneath the delivery end of the apron 85.

As may be seen from Figures 4, 5 and 6, surrounding the upright studs 95 are springs 96 upon the horizontal-flanges of the angles IOI. The compression of the springs 96 may be adjusted by means of the nuts 91. As the lower face of the plate I is a plane surface and therefore may fit against the plane surface of the upper face of the plate 88 of the carriage 85,.said carriage may be reciprocated with continuous contact of these faces, the pressure of the plate I00 upon' the plate 88 being transmitted to the rolls 84. Thus is secured sharp cut-01f and opening of the slot 93 from and to the successive compartments containing the granular material of different colors. The pressure applied by means of the nuts 9I is such as to secure close contact of the faces of the plates I00 and 88 but is insufficient to cause an amount of friction between these faces such as will interfere with the reciprocation of the carriage 85 as described.

To the plate 88 are fastened extension brackets- II5 at either side thereof which brackets are formed at their outer ends with threaded portions upon which are fitted nuts IIS. Engaging the brackets H5 and held thereon by the nuts H6 forked portion II9, as shown in Figures 4 and 6.

The link 8 is connected to the rocker arm I22 by means of a pin I20 passing through the forks H9. The lower end of the rocker lever I22 is pivoted upon a shaft I24 having a bearing I28 in the frame 40 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The shaft I24 extends through the frames 40 on each side of the machine. As the rocker arms at their lower ends are fastened upon the shaft I24, there also being connecting links I I8 on each side of the machine connecting to these rocker arms, and as the parts may be arranged at either side of the machine in like relation to the plate 88 and its extensions II5, when motion is im-- parted to the rocker arms they move in unison and apply force evenly to effect movement of the carriage 85 in the horizontal plane.

In order to produce the rocking motion of the arms I 22, attached to each of said arms by means -of clamps I2'I having set screws I28 is a bracket I29. The clamps I2'I are fastened to the bracket I29 and the set screws I28 are arranged to engage the edges of the arm I22 so that the position of the bracket I29 may be adjusted along the arm I22. At the end of the bracket I22 is fastened a stud I30 by means of a nut I3I. This stud I30 carries a cam ball or follower I32 arranged to engage the cam groove formed in a cam disc I34. The cam groove is formed by the walls I36 and I38 having the adjacent faces thereof parallel to each other and parallel to the line of formation of the cam, upon which line'of formation the center of the cam ball moves with respect to the cam. Cam I34 is fastened upon a shaft I40, there being a cam at each end of the shaft as shown in Figure 4, each cam being arranged in like angular relation about the axis of the shaft I40 so that when theshaft is turned by means to be described, like points on the cam move in like angular relation to a plane,'for example, the vertical plane, passing through the axis of the shaft I40.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the cam outline in Figure 6 that as the shaft I40 is rotated with the cams fastened thereto, the cam ball I82 on each side will be moved with a reciprocating. motion in a direction generally from left to right and back again. -The levers I22 will be reciprocated with angular displacement about the shaft I24 with the result that the carriage 85 and the plate 88 to which the links 8 connect also will be reciprocated in the horizontal plane. The cam will determine the amount of reciprocating movement of the cam ball I32, and there-' fore, of the carriage 85 carrying the slot 93 with respect to the openings in the plate I00 of the box 98. The slot 98, therefore, will be caused to move successively under each of the compartments of. the box 98 to receive therefrom suc cessively the different color masses, the quantity of these masses so received being metered in the manner described above.

When the carriage 85 is moved in the direction of motion of the apron 65 the relative movement of the slot 93 with respect to the apron 65 will be less, in the time interval in which the slot passes from one compartment opening to the other, than the relative movement of the slot 93 with respect to the apron 65' during a corresponding interval in the reverse motion of the carriage 85. Compensation for this difference in the relative movement is accomplished by means of the forms of the cam in its two portions which effect motion in one direction and in the other. These portions are so formed that duringthe stroke of the carriage 85 in the direction in which the apron 85 is moving the rate of the forward movement of the carriage is made less than the rate of movement in the reverse direction. The cam is so formed that, during the forward movement, namely, movement in the same direction as the movement of the upper strand or portion of the apron 65, the full throw of the cam producing the full stroke of the frame 86 is made in a greater angular motion of the cam and therefore in a greater time than the throw which produces motion'of the carriage 85 in the reverse direction.

'In Figure 6 the radius from the center of the,

- As the cam turns upon the axis of the shaft I40 'carriage 85 which is at the extreme of the motion in the direction of movement of the apron 85.

It will be apparent from Figure 6 that as the cam I 34 rotates in the direction of the arrow the cam ball I32 will move along the cam groove from B to A, that is, along the shorter portion of the groove and correspondingly through a less angular displacement of the cam than that which will effect movement of the ball I32 along the groove from A to B. As the cam ball I32 is moved from its position as shown in Figure 6 toward the left of the figure the carriage 85 is moved toward the left in said figure or toward the right in Figure 5. Thismovement is in a direction which is the reverse of that of the motion of the apron 65 as it passes over the plate 11. Because of the less angular displacement of the cam I34 the time during which this reverse movement of the carriage 85 is effected is less than the time of the movement of the carriage 85 in the forward direction, that is, in the direction of'motion of the apron 85. The speed of the slot 93 over the plate 11, therefore, in the reverse direction is greater than its speed in the forward direction. The forward movement produced by the longer portion of the cam from A to B, being effected in a greater interval of time than the interval for the reverse stroke and the length of the two strokes being equal, a. greater length of the apron 85 may passover the plate I'I during said forward movement than during said reverse movement of the carriage 85.

In consideration, however, of the fact that during the forward movement of the carriage 85 said carriage is moving in the same direction as the apron 65 and if, in said forward movement, the lineal speed of the carriage 85 with respect to the plate 11 is less than that of the apron with respect to the plate 11, a movement of the carriage 85 with respect to the apron 55 is produced which, during a given interval of time, is less than if said movement of the carriage 85 were in the reverse direction at the same speed relative to the plate I1.

As, however, the forward movement of the carriage 85 is produced in a longer time by the greater angular displacement of the cam I34, a length of the apron 85 may be caused tmpass under the slot 83 of the carriage 85 sufllcient to cause withdrawal from the slot 93 of the desired amount of the granular material to lay upon the desired length of the apron. During the reverse stroke of the carriage 85 the relative movement in a given interval of time of the carriage and its slot 93 with respect to the apron 85 is greater and, therefore, the desired length of travel of the apron 85 under the slot 93 may be secured during the shorter interval of time corresponding to the less angular displacement of the cam I34 which effects movement of the cam ball from B to A. By suitably forming the cam. that is, by suitably selecting the relation of the angular displacements thereof which are effective to produce the two strokes of the carriage 85, the relation of the lengths of the color masses laid upon the apron 65 may be determined. Thus it becomes possible to equalize the two lengths of the surface of the apron 65 upon which color masses are laid during the two strokes by designing the cam for the proper intervals, that is, the correct angular relations, for the two portions of its out line. 4

Since the equalization of the lengths of the apron 65 upon which the total amount of material is laid during the two strokes may be effected by the form of the cam, it is likewise possible, by suitably determining the intermediate points of the cam outline, to bring about the registration of the slot with the successive openings in the plate I00, and consequently the successive charging of the slot 93 with the different color masses contained in the different adjacently arranged compartments of the magazine 98, in such a way as to equalize or predetermine in any desired manner the lengths upon the apron of the successive color areas.

As an illustration of the function of the cam I34, if color areas of equal length in the direction of movement of the sheet I are to be formed thereon, the cam may beof such outline that the metering slot 93 may move from, say, the cut-off position with respect to one compartment of the magazine 98 to the cut-off position with respect to the next compartment while the sheet I is traveling through a distance, measured with respect to the metering slot, which itself is moving, equal to the desired length of the color areas. The angular movement of the cam I34 is a measure of the lineal movement of the sheet I and of the apron 65- with respect to the machine and the cam outline determines the movement of the carriage 85 with respect to the apron 65 so that the slot 93 in the carriage 85 is moved equal disffinces with respect to the apron 85, that is, with respect to the sheet I, in the time of movement of the slot 93 between said successive cut-01f positions.

While a smooth cam has been drawn between points A and B in the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that a cam of stepped form with steps corresponding to the registrations with the difierent and successive compartment openings may be utilized. Such a cam wouldeffeet a quick motion of the slot from its registra tion with one compartment opening to the next rather than a continuous movement from one registration to the other. In the practical embodiment of the invention being described and illustrated in the drawings it is preferable and more convenient to utilize a smooth cam so that the mechanical action of the parts may be simpli tied and so that they may be produced at less expense.

As in the smooth cam, the angular movement of the cam between steps determines the interval of time between movement of the carriage from its position in registration with one compartment of the magazine to the position'iin registration. with the succeeding compartment. This angular movement may be equal for successive movements of the carriage or may be unequal depending upon whether it, is desired to lay upon the sheet color masses in equal or unequal lengths throughout the stroke of the carriage. -The ca therefore, in its outline,whether as a smooth in the same relative proportions to each other,

as to length as a succession or set of color areas upon the sheet produced. by the same cam but over a greater or a less total length of the sheet I. The compensation or equalization effected by the difference in the form of the cam for the two strokes thereof may be secured equally well under the two conditions just mentioned. The variation of the total length of the sheet over which the succession of color areas is laid in the two cases may be effected by means about to be- I described.

then upon a given length of the sheet I.

In order to drive the cam I34 there may be fastened upon the shaft I40 a gear I42 meshing with an idler gear I44 turning upon a stud I46 movable in a slot I 41 in theframe 40. By suitable fastening means the stud I46 may be held in the slot I4I but so that when desired it may be moved along the slot I41, which is formed as an arc of a circle having its center upon a shaft I48, which shaft receives power from the roofing machine by any suitable driving means. Fastened upon the shaft I48 is a gear I49 meshing with the gear I44 so as to drive the gear I44 as the shaft I48 is turned. As the stud I46 swings about the center of the shaft I48 the gear I44 may be swung into or out of mesh'with the gear I42. Thus the gear I42 may be driven upon turning of the shaft I48 and may cause the shaft I40 and the cams carried thereby to rotate. Moreover, the rate of rotation of the cam will be in a definite relation to the speed of the sheet I which, being driven from the roofing machine, moves in a constant relation to the rotation of the shaft I48. It thus will be clear that the lineal speed of and the rate of reciprocation of the carriage 85 may be in a definite relation to the speed of the sheet I as said sheet moves through the apparatus of the invention.

With a given speed of the sheet I and a given rate of reciprocation of the carriage 85 and with a constant speed of the apron 65, a certain quantity of each color mass will be withdrawn from the successive compartments and will be laid, first upon 'a given length of the apron 65, and

Moreover, the cycle of the color masses will be repeated in a given length of travel of the sheet I. If, now, by fastening'a gear I42 of different diameter or number of teeth upon the shaft I40, or substituting for gears I44 and I49 gears having a different ratio, the stud I46 being moved so as to cause the idler gear I44 to engage the gear I42 for the new relationship, the rate of reciprocation of the carriage is changed, for example, is increased, then, with a constant speed for the apron 65 a less amount of granular materialwill be withdrawn from each compartment in a given interval of time, that is, the interval between registration of the slot with the successive comparment openings because a shorter travel of the apron 65 under the slot 93 will occur in said time interval. During this interval the speed of the sheet 'I is constant and therefore the length of the sheet to which this granular material, that is, a color mass, will be applied will be less. Cor- I respondingly a decrease in the speed of reciprocation of the carriage 85 will increase the length of the sheet covered. Thus it will be seen that variation in the length of sheet covered by a 0010! mass may be made by changing the ratio of the gears I49 and I42, or otherwise changing the speed of shaft I40 in relation to shaft I48; also the length of the sheet covered by the individual color mass of the sequence. of these masses may be changed in this way. Other means which are capable of effecting a change in the rate of the driving of the cam and, as a result, change in the reciprocation of the carriage, may be utilized within the scope of the invention in order to change the length of the color areas.

When with a given cam outline change is made in the ratio of the rotation of the cam I34, that is, of the reciprocation of the carriage 85 to the parts of the mechanism producing motion of the apron 65 and of the sheet I, the compensation above described, which is produced by the two different angular movements of the cam for the forward and reverse strokes of the carriage is modified and complete compensation for the increased or decreased length of the color area is not secured. This condition will become evident when it is considered that the difference in relative movement of the slot 93 with respect to the apron 65 in one direction is added to the length which the apron travels with respect to the plate 11 and in the opposite direction is subtracted therefrom. When this difference is added to and substracted from a greater or a lesser length of the color area being produced, the percentage of compensation in the two directions is not equalized.

For example, if the distance which the slot must move from the point of cut-off from one compartment of the magazine 98 to the point of cut-off of the adjacent compartment is 1 during which interval of movement the color mass from said adjacent compartment is delivered into the slot, then when said movement of the slot is in the forward direction, that is, in the same direction as the movement of the apron 65, for a given movement of the apron, say 9" with respect to the plate 11, the movement of the slot with respect to the apron will be 7 When the movement of the slot 93 is in reverse direction with respect to the plate 11 its movement with respect to the apron 65 will be 10 of the apron 65, for example, upon a nominal length of 18", the movement of the slot 93 from compartment to compartment remaining the same, namely, 1 .then the movement of the slot relative to the apron in the two directions becomes respectively 16 and 19 It will be understood from these typical dimensions, the ratio of 10 /2 to '1 being different from the ratio of 19 to 16 that the cam which is formed for a ratio of 10 to 7 for example, does not.ex-

actly fit the condition where the desired ratio is 19%; to 16 While in certain cases a different cam may be used when color areas of different length are to be formed on the sheet, in many cases a simpler practical method of producing the change in length of color area without the necessity of utilizing a different cam for every modification of the color area. may be adopted. This method will be described hereafter.

In the description of the invention thus far given it has been assumed that the speed-of the apron 65 is fixed and therefore in a fixed relation to the speed of the sheet I. There is thus laid upon the sheet I a layer of the granular material of definite thickness because, regardless of the succession of the color masses, the thickness of the layer of granular material upon the apron 65 is determined by the action of the slot structure as described above. Substantially, therefore, there is produced a constant feed of the material at a given point, that is, at the circumference of the. surface of the apron as it passes over the roll 63 and a unifomi showering and laying of the granules upon the sheet I.

It will be understood that if .the speed of delivery toward the sheet I of the granular material of a given thickness upon the apron 65 is reduced, a greater length of the sheet I will pass under the point of delivery and, therefore, the granular material will be spread out over a greater length and will be of less thickness upon III the sheet I than if the speed of the apron 65 were increased with respect to that of the sheet I. In order to secure the spread of the granules over the desired length of the sheet and with the desired thickness of the granular layer and to effect variations of these actions the invention contemplates the use of a driving mechanism interposed'between the shaft I48 and the roll 63 which is of such type that the speed of the roll 63 and, therefore, of the apron 65 driven thereby may be changed with respect to the speed of the shaft I48. The particular type of speed changing device which is utilized forms no part of the invention and any convenient means for efiecting variation of the ratio of the revolutions of the roll 63 with respect to the revolutions of the shaft I48 may be used within the scope of the invention.

'In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings is shown at I55 the casing of a Reeves drive mounted upon supporting members I56 framed between frames 48 of the machine. This device is of well known construction and is provided 'with a shaft I51 extending through the casing I55 and having fastened thereto externally of the casing a chain gear I58. The chain gear I58 is driven by the chain I59 from a chain gear I60 fastened upon the shaft I48. The Reeves drive also has a shaft I65 extending through the casing I55 on the opposite side thereof from the gear I58. The shaft I65 has fastened thereto a chain gear I61 driving by means of chain I68 a sprocket I69 fastened upon the roller 63. The construction of the Reeves drive within the casing is such that at will an increase or decrease of the rotation of the'shaft I65 with respect-to the rotation of the shaft I51 may be produced. Such changes of rotation or of speed of the two shafts I51 and I65 efiect proportionate changes in the rotation or speed of the roller 63 with respect to the shaft I48. In place of the Reeves drive other well known variable speed devices may be substituted in order to obtain different speeds of the roll 63 while the speed of the sheet I is maintained constant.

If the speed of the apron 65 is increased by increasing the speedof the roll 63 by suitably operating the variable speed device, then a greater amount of material will be delivered toward the sheet I for'a given length of sheet I passing under the roll 63 and a thicker layer of the material upon the sheet I will be secured. Such an increase in the speed of the apron 65, however, if produced without change in the rate of reciprocation of the carriage 85' and of the slot 33, will cause to be withdrawn from the slot 93 and to be laid upon the apron a greater amount of the granular material of each color mass. Although this additional material will be laid upon a greater length of the apron 65 but with the same thickness as before increasing the apron speed, it will be laid upon the same length of the sheet I in a thicker layer than before the increase of the speed of the apron 65. Thus variation of the speed of the apron 65 with respect to the sheet I, while maintaining a given relation of the speed of reciprocation of the carriage 85 with respect to the speed of the sheet-I, provides control of the thickness of the granular layer laid upon'the sheet I without variation of the length of the color areas or their succession as laid upon the sheet I.

From the above description it will be clear that for the purpose of laying color areas which are to have their dimensions in the direction of the length of the sheet in given proportionate relations to each other, for example, if these lengths of the color areas are to be equal, a cam of suitable outline may be utilized and that increase or decrease of the lengths of these color areas while maintaining the proportionate relation thereof, may be secured by changing the driving relation between the cam and the sheet, the driving relation between the sheet and the apron being held the same. In the particular embodiment'described, this change may be made by changing the ratio of the gears driving between the shaft I 48 and the cam shaft I40. Moreover, without modifying the lengths of the color areas as laid upon the sheet the quantity of material delivered upon a given color area may be varied by varying the speed of the apron 65 by means of a variable speed device such as the Reeves in relation to the speed of the sheet. If, however, for the purpose of changing the length of the color area the driving relation between the cam I34 and the sheet I is changed, as by changing the gears I42 and I44 as has been described above, and if at the same time the driving relation between the cam I34 and the apron 65 is changed by adjusting the variable speed device, it

is possible to overcome the discrepancy, which has been described above, which is caused by using a cam of such outline as will produce the compensation for one length of color area, but

not for a different length of color area secured by changing the ratio of the gears I42 and I44 alone.

If, as suggested in the last paragraph, change in the driving relation between the shaft I48, which is driven in a constant relation to the means for producing movement of the sheet I and the shaft I 48 on which the cam is mounted is effected by changing gears I42 and I44 and if at the same time by means of the variable speed device the relation of the speed of the apron 65 to the revolutions of the shaft I48 is changed, it will be apparent that the relation 'of the movement of the apron 65 to the movement of the cam .may be restored to that which existed before changing the relation of the gears I42 and I44.

Substantially this produces a change in the movement of all the parts of the mechanism of the invention with respect to the parts of the machine which produce the movement of the sheet I. In other words, change in the movement of the sheet I relative to the movement of the apron and relative to the movement of the slot 93 may be secured by eifecting a proportionate increase or decrease in the movements of both the apron 65 and of the slot 93. It, therefore, will be understood, if instead of changing the speeds or movements of the parts of the mechanism of the invention, by suitable means in the roofing machine, the speed of the sheet I is increased or decreased, that the desired effect will be produced and the granular material may be laid upon a greater or lesser length of the sheet I.

While in this way the change of the color areas upon the sheet- I may beefiected, by this change alone of the relative speed of the sheet I with respect to, the mechanism of the invention variation will be introduced in the thickness of the layer of the granular material which is laid upon the sheet. This will be understood since the apron 65 will deliver a constant amount of the granular material to the sheet, which amount will be laid over a'greater or less length of the sheet I in accordance with an increase or a decrease in thespeed of the sheet I. In order to restore the desired thickness of the granular material upon the sheet, however, the thickness of the layer of the granular material laid upon the apron 65 as it is withdrawn from the slot 93 may be increased by adjusting the position of the plate 11 so that the apron 65 will be at a greater or less distance from the lower edge 81 of the slot structure 90. This adjustment maybe effected in the manner described above by means of the screws 14 which are threaded in the crossbars 16, the plate 11 being adjusted to a level or flat position parallel to the plane of motion of the carriage 85. If by increasing the speed of the sheet I with respect to the mechanisms of the invention thegranular material is laidin a thinner layer upon a greater length of the sheet I, the plate 11 may be set at a greater distance from the lower edge 81 of the slot structure 90 in order that a heavier layer of the granular material may be carried by the apron 65 and delivered to the sheet I, the layer upon the sheet I, therefore, being correspondingly thicker. Similarly, with a reduction of the speed of the sheet I with respect to the mechanism of the invention in order to'produce a shorter color area, the plate 11 may be set closer to the lower edge 81 of the slot structure 99. When this method of securing change in the length of the color area is used no adjustments of the parts of the mechanism of the invention or change in the ratio of the reciprocation of the carriage to the movement of the apron need be made and a cam of given design suitable for compensation with a given-ratio of the movement of the carriage with respect to the apron may be used for all lengths of color area upon the sheet I.

With a given setting of the plate 11 producing a given thickness of the granular material upon the apron 65, by an increase of the speed of the apron 65 alone more granular material will be delivered 66 the sheet I, as has been described above, to produce a thicker layer of the granular material upon the sheet I. A reduction of the apron speed correspondingly will produce a reduction of the thickness of the granular material upon the sheet I. By such a change in the speed of the apron 65, however, there is introduced a discrepancy in the length of the color areas for the two strokes when a cam of given design is utilized. This discrepancy is produced for the same reasons which have been set forth above in connection with a modification of the speed of reciprocation of the carriage by a change in the- -While the invention has been described in connection with an illustration of its elemental form and in one practical embodiment thereof, many different variations may be made within the scope of the invention in order to carry out the process of the invention and to produce covering elements of the type described. For example, as shown in'Figure 7 a feed roll I10 in the form of a cylinder rotating continuously in one direction upon its axis may be used. The structure I12 carrying the slot I13 formed by walls I15 may be arranged also to rotate upon the same axis of the roll I10. .The granular material may be withdrawn from the slot by relative movement of the circumference of the roll I10 with respect to the outlet I16 thereof and may be delivered upon the sheet I in the same manner as its delivery is effected by the apron 65 passing under the slot 93 and then over the roll 63 as shown in Figure 5. The magazine I18 may beprovided with partitions I19 and with outlets I80 similar to those of the construction previously described. The lower wall of the magazine I18 in which the outlets I89 are formed is of cylindrical form conforming to the outer cylindrical surface of the slot carrying structure I12. It will be understood that a reciprocation of the slot carrying structure I12, effected by suitable means, will successively cause the upper opening. I11 of the slot to pass into register with theopenings I80 and the action which has been described, particularly in connection with the slot 93 shown in Figure 5, will be produced in the same manner as this action is effected by means of the apron 65 and the reciprocating carriage.

In the embodiments of the invention which have been described gravity is utilized to move the granular material from the compartments into and through the slot to the apron. The invention, however, includes within its scope any means or mechanisms which are effective to produce movement of the granules through these passages in the manner and under the control described. Modifications of the various parts ofthe apparatus and the arrangement thereof to suit different conditions will be apparent to those skilled in the art While maintaining the relations of the parts and their functions which are effective to carry out the process and to produce the covering materials which are the subject of the invention. The invention may be applicable to feeding and control of flowable and miscible materials other than granular materials in connection with which the-invention has been described, which other materials are of such character that in the manner described an even surface of contact may be produced between the consecutive masses thereof.

Having thus described my invention 1 now claim:

1. Apparatus for applying granular material to sheet material which comprises means for continuously feeding granular material toward the sheet, means confining said granular'material as it is fed to the sheet, means determiningwith said confining means a volume through which the granular material is fed to the sheet, said volume being not less than that of a predetermined amount of granular material of given character, means for delivering a mass of granular material of said given character to said volume so as to be .fed therethrough, and

means for deliveringimmediately contiguous to but separate from and substantially unmixed with said mass of granular material of given character in said volume a mass of granular material of contrasting character in said predetermined amount, said means determining the volume being so formed and arranged that the A surface of the mass of granular material of given character contiguous to which said mass of contrasting character is fed is maintained during said feeding and said masses of granular material are separate and demarked from each other at said surface.

2. Apparatus for applying granular material to sheet material which comprises means for moving said sheet in the direction of one of its surface dimensions, a structure providing a slot between surfaces generally like-extending in the direction transversely of the surface of the sheet and transversely of the movement of the sheet to provide in-the slot a volume having an extent transversely of the surface of the sheet, said structure being so mounted with respect to the sheet as to provide a space between the surface of the sheet and the part of the structure forming the portion of the slot which is' adjacent the sheet, said spacing of the slot structure in relation to the sheet determining with the movement of the sheet the amount of granular material withdrawn from the slot, and means for delivering to the slot granular material to replace that withdrawn from the slot by said movement of the sheet past said slot.

3. Apparatus for applying granular material to sheet material which comprises means for moving said sheet in the direction of one of its surface dimensions, a structure providing a slot between surfaces generally like-extending in the direction transversely of the surface of the sheet and transversely of the movement of the sheet to provide iii the slot a volume having an extent transversely of the surface of the sheet,-

said structure being so mounted with respect to the sheet as to provide a space between the surface of the sheet and the part of the struc-.

slot transverse to said surfaces but so that suffldient granular material moves through the slot to maintain the withdrawal therefrom.

Apparatus for applying gran ar material to sheet material which compris s means for 'moving the sheet with its surface in a horizontal plane and in the direction of one of its surface dimensions. a structure positioned above the sheet and providing surfaces extending generally transversely to said horizontal sheet and transversely to the direction of movement of the sheet to form a slot, meansfor feeding to said slot a predetermined amount of granular material of a given character, the part of said structure forming the lower opening of the slot being spaced from said sheet but adjacent thereto to support the granular material in the slot when the sheet is not moving thereunder, said spacing of said slot forming structure from the sheet determining in consideration of the movement of the sheet in relation thereto the amount of the granular material withdrawn from the slot and the movement downwardly therethrough, the spacing of the surfaces of the slot being such as to cause said granular material as it is withdrawn through the lower opening of the slot to move downwardly toward the sheet substantially uniformly at each point in the cross-section of the slot transverse to the movement of the granular material therethrough, and means for feeding directly upon said first granular material in said slot a predetermined amount of granular material of a character contrasting thereto.

5. Apparatus for applying granular material to sheet material which comprises means for moving the sheet in the plane of its extent, a

slot forming structure providing surfaces extending generally parallel to each other in planes transversely of the plane of the sheet and transversely of the movementthereof, said surfaces being so spaced apart and being of such dimension transversely of the plane of the sheet as to form the slot with a substantial volume extending in said direction transversely of the sheet,

means providing 1 a plurality of quantities of granular materials, the granular material of some of said quantities contrasting with that of others of said "quantitiesgmeans for delivering into said slot a predetermined amount of granular material from one of said quantities, means for delivering separate from but consecutive to and in contact with said granular material in the slot contrasting granular material from another of said quantities, and means acting concomitantly with said delivery means for cutting off delivery of said first granular material into the slot before starting delivery of said contrasting granular material into the slot, said slot forming structure being so positioned in relation to said sheet that the granular material.

is prevented from discharging from the slot when the sheet is not in motion but is withdrawn from the slot and immediately deposited on said sheet upon movement of the sheet relative to the slot, said structure being so spaced from the sheet that the rate of withdrawal of the granular material is determined by the rate of movement of said sheet and said spacing of said structure.

6. Apparatus for applying granular material to sheet material which comprises a structure providing walls forming a slot, said slot having the dimension thereof in the direction between the openings thereof substantially greater than the spacing of the walls forming the slot so as to pro- ,videa substantial volume'within the slot in the direction of said dimension, said slot having one opening thereof adjacent the surface of the sheet ofmaterial, means for causing relative movement transversely of said dimension of the slot between the surface of the sheet and said opening of thesecutively into said slot, said consecutive quantities of granular material being of contrasting "character, said slot forming structure being so spaced from said sheet that in consideration of the rate of movement of the sheet relative to the opening of the slot the rate of withdrawal of the granular material from the slot is determined, said means for successively bringing said slot into register with the contrasting quantities of granular material being so arranged and actuated in relation to the means for causing relative movement between the sheet and the slot that the amount of each granular material delivered'into the slot and withdrawn therefrom to be laid upon the sheet is predetermined.

7. Apparatus for feeding granular material comprisinga structure providing a slotformed with the slot forming faces thereof having aisubstantial extent transverse to the opening. crosssection of .the slot to provide in the slot a substantial volume with respect'to said cross section, means for delivering a mass of granular material of given character to the slot through one opening thereof, means for cutting off delivery of said granular material into said slot, means for causing said material to move through said slot, the spacing of said faces of the slot being so limited with respect to the grain size of the granular material as to cause said granular material to fill out said cross section of the slot and to move substantially uniformly at each point in the cross-section of the slot so as to maintain substantially a defined surface upon said mass of the granular material as it moves through the slot, whereby at each point in the movement a defined space is formed between said surface of the granular material and said opening of the slot, means for delivering contrasting granular material into said slot through said opening of the slot to fill out said cross section thereof and contiguous to said moving mass of granular material, means for cutting off delivery of said contrasting granular material into said slot, and means for actuating said means for cutting off each granular material in a predetermined relation to said means for causing said materials to move through said slot to effect said cut-off when a predetermined space is formed between said moving surface and said opening of said slot and so as to effect cut-off of said first granularmaterial before starting of delivery of partment means being so constructed and arranged with respect to said slot structure and said opening of said slot that during said relative movement between successive registrations one compartment opening is substantially completely closed by a portion of said slot structure before uncovering of the consecutive compartment opening is started so as to effect delivery into said slot of said granular materials in; said consecutive ,order unmixed with but in contact with the preceding granular material in said slot, said slot being so formed in said structure as substantially to maintain the granular materials unmixed and in said consecutive order in said slot.

9. Apparatus for feeding granular material which comprises a slot forming structure, means providing compartments in adjacent consecutive arrangement to contain granular material, each of said compartments having an opening therein for discharge therefrom of the granular material, and means for effecting relative movement a predetermined amount of the granular material in the slot takes place, said compartment means being constructed with a part arranged with respect to said slot forming structure to uncover in said relative movement said opening of the slot to deliver the granular material from said one compartment to effect complete filling of the slot and subsequently substantially completely to cover said slot opening before uncovering of said opening of the slot to efiect delivery of the granular material from the succeeding compartment in contact with said first granular material is started, whereby said granular materials in said slot are contiguous but unmixed and are of predetermined amounts.

10. Apparatus for feeding granular material which comprises a slot forming structure, means providing compartments in adjacent consecutive arrangement to contain granular material, each of said compartments having an opening therein for discharge therefrom of the granular-material, and means for moving said compartment means so as-to cause the openings of the consecutive compartments successively to register with one opening of the slot, said compartment means being constructed with a part arranged to cover said opening of said slot as said compartment means is moved substantially completely to close said slot opening before uncovering of the consecutive compartment opening is started so that delivery is effected into said slot of separate masses of granular materials in consecutive order unmixed with but in contact with the preceding granular material in said slot, said slot being so formed in said structure as to maintain said masses in said consecutive order and contiguous to each other but substantially unmixed as said granular material feeds therethrough.

11. Apparatus for feeding granular material comprising a slot forming structure, said slot having the dimension thereof .in the direction between the openings thereof bf such substantial amount as to provide a substantial volume within the slot in the direction of said dimension, means providing a plurality of compartments each containing granular material, the granular material in some compartments being of contrasting character to that of other compartments, each of said compartments having an outlet for discharge of the granular material therefrom, said compart- 'ment means being so constructed that the outlets of the compartments containing contrasting granular material are adjacently and consecutively arranged, means for moving said slot structure to cause one opening of said slot successively to move into register with said consecutive openings to cause said slot through said opening thereof separately to receive from the compartments separate but consecutive and contiguous masses of contrasting granular material, and means acting concomitantly with said slot structure as it moves for closing the outlet opening of one compartment before uncovering the opening of a consecutive compartment to effect delivery of one mass separate and unmixed with theconsecutive mass. I

12. Apparatus for feeding granular material comprising a slot forming structure, said slot having the dimension thereof in the direction between the openings thereof of such substantial amount as to provide a substantial volume within the slot in the direction of said dimension, means providing a plurality of compartments each containing granular material, the granular material in somecompartments being of contrasting character to that of other compartments, each of said compartments having an outlet for discharge of the granular material therefrom, said compartment means being so constructed that the outlets of the compartments containing contrasting granular material are adjacently and consecutively arranged, means for moving said slot structure to cause one opening of said slot successively to move into register with said consecutive openings to cause said slot through said opening thereof separately to receive from the compartments separate but consecutive and contiguous masses of contrasting granular material, and means for supporting a web of -material with its surface adjacent the other opening of the slot and so that as the slot structure is moved with respect to the compartments said other opening of the slot structure moves over the surface of the web and the granular material is caused to be withdrawn from the slot, the consecutive contrasting masses of the granular material being laid consecutively and contiguously upon the web'.

13. Apparatus for feeding granular material comprising a slot forming structure, said slot having the dimension thereof in the direction between the openings thereof of such substantial amount as to provide a substantial volume within the slot in the direction of said dimension, means providing a plurality of compartments each containing granular material, the granular secutive and contiguous masses of contrasting granular material, means for supporting a web of material with its surface adjacent the other .ranged for movement thereof beneath said conopening of the slot and so that as the slot structure is moved with respect to the compartments said other opening of the slot structure moves over the surface of the web and the granular material is caused to be withdrawn from the 5 slot, the consecutive contrasting masses of the granular material being laid' consecutively and contiguously upon the web, and means for moving said web relative to said compartment means.

14. Apparatus for feeding granular material comprising a slot forming structure, said slot having the dimension thereof in the direction between the openings thereof of such substantial .amount as to provide a substantial volume within the slot in the direction of said dimension, means providing a plurality of compartments each containing granular material, the granular material in some compartments being of contrasting character to that of other compartments, each of said compartments having an outlet for discharge of the granular material therefrom, said compartment means being so constructed that the outlets of the compartments containing contrasting granular material are adjacently and consecutively arranged, means'for moving said slot structure to cause one opening of said slot successively to move into register with said consecutive openings to cause said slot through said opening thereof separately to receive from the compartments separate but consecutive and contiguous masses of contrasting granular material, means for supporting a web of material with its surface adjacent the other opening of the slot and 'so that as the slot structure is moved with respect to the compartments said other opening of the slot structure moves over the surface of the web and the granular material is caused to be withdrawn from the slot, the consecutive contrasting masses of'the granular material being laid consecutively and contiguously upon the web, means for moving said web relative to said compartment means, and means for effecting return movement of the slot structure in the reverse order with respect to said compartment openmgs.

15. In a machine for feeding granular material, a container for the granular material, said container being divided into compartments by upwardly extending walls, said container having the bottom wall thereof perforated with openings respectively associated with a compartment and providing for discharge from said compartments of the granular material contained therein, a

carriage constructed with a slot having the opening cross-section thereof in a plane transverse to said upwardly extending walls, said slot having an extent transverse to said cross-section of the slot suflicient to provide a substantial volume within the slot, said carriage being artainer in a direction to move the upper opening of said slot successively into register with the openings of said compartments, a web arranged with a stretch thereof beneath said carriage, means for moving said stretch of said web in the general direction of the line of motion of said carriage, said openings of said compartments being so proportioned and arranged with respect to said cross section of the slot as separately to discharge into said slot separate amounts of granular material from the successive compartments.

16. In a machine for feeding granular material, a container for the granular material, said container being divided into compartments by 7' 

